


A Protaganist

by Hey_Maverick



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Other, bobata centric, bobata is too dumb for his own good, coming of age ig?, terushima is an okay friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25132561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hey_Maverick/pseuds/Hey_Maverick
Summary: If his life was a movie, Bobata Kazuma is just an extra.Or so he thought. Through a series of events in which Bobata tries to change himself, he realizes he’s loved more than he ever imagined.
Relationships: Bobata Kazuma & Futamata Takeharu, Bobata Kazuma & Johzenji, Bobata Kazuma & Terushima Yuuji
Comments: 13
Kudos: 13





	A Protaganist

**Author's Note:**

> Notes at the end !

Terushima had constantly insisted that their life was like a movie. Bobata, confused of course, didn’t understand it at first even with the fake blond explaining it over and over again. Terushima would say that their friend group, the self proclaimed three musketeers, were the main characters of the movie. Terushima was the leader, Bobata was his childhood best friend, and Takeharu was the newest addition. Each of them had their strengths and weaknesses, they all played a big role in the movie. He would say that joining the volleyball team was a part of the story, that they would meet cute girls and get invited to places. 

Bobata disagreed with this philosophy, not that he would ever tell that to Terushima or Takeharu though, they seemed set on the idea of a romcom life. 

If his life was a movie, Bobata was an extra. Just a face in a crowd who has no real part of the story. There was nothing special about him, there was nothing that made him different from the rest. His grades were average, his looks quite ‘normal’ (as normal as it can be when your best friend looks like he came out of the punk rock era), and his volleyball skills were also nothing to be impressed about. There was no real way to stand out when his best friend looked the way he did; Terushima always put extra work into his appearance. Takeharu was easier to compete with, but even then Bobata stood no chance. Takeharu was all over the place, his bland appearance was replaced by an explosive personality that butted heads with that of Terushima leaving calm Bobata to watch in the sidelines. 

At first, he didn’t want to agree with his idea. Bobata didn’t want to be just some face people forget, but by the time second year had arrived, he had already accepted that he wouldn’t amount to his friends’ worth. Every time the group seemed to get into trouble, the teachers waved him off and claimed Terushima probably roped this poor kid into his antics. Every time he was approached by someone who made his heart race, they ended up wanting someone else’s number and intended to use him to get it. He was just a stepping stone for everyone to get what they wanted, never someone’s first choice. Bobata was getting used to being the backup plan. 

Despite knowing Terushima for so long, the pierced male would often call his other teammates before reaching out to Bobata. He was always Terushima’s last resort. They always had fun so it was difficult for him to understand why they didn’t hang out more. Maybe he’s annoying and doesn’t realize it? Maybe he’s too boring for Terushima’s taste? Maybe he’s too quiet for Takeharu to want to speak to him? Whatever the case, Bobata concludes there must be something wrong with him. If everyone avoids him- that’s the only logical answer right? 

So begins Bobata’s quest to find what the hell is wrong with him. 

At first, he assumes the way he acts wards people off. He’s quiet compared to the rest of his group, the fake bird amongst a group of squabbling parakeets. He also parents the rest of the group alongside Hana who’s already close to calling it quits or hitting them all with her clipboard. So, although his mentality doesn’t quite fit the role, Bobata begins to act like a delinquent, modeling his life after that of Terushima. With that, he’s finally put himself on the map as someone to watch. The group seemed to take notice of him for once, he knew they whispered behind his back about his new act. He didn’t hear protests however, they all seemed to be liking this new version of himself. 

Next came something he wasn’t so sure about: wrecking his grades. There wasn’t much to destroy in the first place, his skills were normal when it came to school, he could be better if he pushed himself. He was reluctant about it at first, but how could someone play a delinquent and get perfect grades? As he debates this, he is yet again reminded he won’t compare to his friends. Terushima is in class seven, the man in a genius yet manages to be a force everyone is afraid of, even the teachers. Maybe he could pull off the act of being both a delinquent and a good student, but it was practically impossible, that is, if you aren’t Terushima Yuuji of course, that man could make anything work. He was like mango with rice, or maybe cats and water. Everything about him was a huge contradiction. That amount of pressure would crush Bobata in the matter of days. 

Full delinquent it is then. 

The last step was the hardest, he knew that there was a possibility he would fully regret his decision. By now the team had started to suspect something was up with Bobata, which he denied and kept on living his life. Terushima’s movie references stopped, Takeharu stopped calling him whenever he needed help. Just like that the trio had fallen into a duo, Bobata was shunned out for acting strangely. 

If his life was a movie, Bobata would be an extra. 

He’s the estranged friend who helped the main character develop, he’s the person that shows up for a few frames to move the plot along before they are forgotten and erased, he’s the one people rarely care for and fall in love with. He accepted his fate with open arms and embraced it tightly. If he was meant to be a side piece, he would make sure he would be the coolest one. He would force people to notice him. 

That’s how he ends up standing in front of his mirror with a pair of scissors in his hand. Next to his toothpaste sits the bottle of black hair dye and a razor in case he flaked out on just cutting his hair. Bobata Kazuma, once hidden in the shadows, now comes to life. Bobata Kazuma, who cries when he sees the person who stares back at him, decides this is the only way to fully accomplish his goals. 

Bobata Kazuma knows he’s going to regret this. 

Slowly he raises his shaking hand up, his other grabbing a lock of brown hair that hangs near his face. The scissor touches his hair and the teen freezes… did he really want to go through with this? 

He’s pulled out of his thoughts by the buzzing of his phone. He sees it’s a message from Terushima, which the tears in his eyes begin to blur as he turns back to the mirror. Terushima was a reminder that Bobata would never stand out. He was a living symbol of what Bobata would never be. He wasn’t smart, he wasn’t pretty, he wasn’t good at volleyball. Bobata was small compared to him. 

Down goes the first lock of hair, then the second, then the third, then the forth, all the way until his hair was short. When Bobata gazed at himself again, the person who stares back isn’t someone he can recognize. His hair is no longer long and now is uneven, hair litters the ground and his phone is still buzzing. This was a mistake, he hates it with a passion, the dye won’t fix the disaster he’s created. Nothing could fix what he did, not even a razor and blind optimism. Bobata leans up against his wall and lets his body drop onto the floor, sobs filling the room as his hands wrap around his head. 

God what a failure, what a complete and utter disaster. No wonder nobody likes you, no wonder you are left out of everything. 

His phone is blowing up nonstop, Bobata thinks he’s going to lose it if it continues. He snatches the cellular device off the counter, screen still blurry from the tears forming in his eyes. With a swipe, he’s staring at the silence button. If he silences the calls and texts, he would finally be cutting off all his old ties in exchange for the hope of making new ones. If he silenced the calls and texts, he’s saying his goodbyes to a life he once knew. 

“Kazuma, you coward” he sighs softly, opening up one of the messages. Of course the chosen contact happens to be none other than Terushima, the one who made Bobata realize he was nothing but a side piece. 

The first thing he sees is a photo of Terushima and Takeharu eating ice cream with frowns on their faces. His first reaction is utter hatred, he assumed they were making fun of him for being the outsider of their group. Then his eyes find the caption, his heart drops when he realizes how horrible of a person he’s become. Jumping to conclusions blocked him from reading the message Terushima had added underneath: ‘missing our favorite player three :((!’ There are more messages that follow, not just from Terushima but from most of the volleyball team, even the group chat is getting spammed. 

[ Haru ] 7:35 pm   
> Helllllllllooooooooooooooo?  
> are you alive? Breathing? Sir ??   
> Do you want boba tea ? 

[ Hana ] 7:00 pm   
> Hello Bobata-san, the team said you were under the weather so I wanted to make sure you were alright. I’m always here to talk if you need! 

[ Yama ] 7:25 pm   
> dUUUDEEE ! You missed my super cool move !   
> I’m challenging you to a Mario kart duel after ! 

[ Rintarou ] 8:00 pm   
> bruh   
> pick up the phone   
> stop being a mopey mess n talk to us 

Every single member of his team expressed concern towards him, something he fails to comprehend. Why would they care for him? He didn’t hold any special rank on the team, he was only a mediocre middle blocker, so what made them chase him? 

[ Yuuji ] 5:45 pm   
> Kazuma   
> Kazuma pick up this phone rn 

[ Yuuji ] 6:45 pm   
> KKKKKKAAAAAAAAAZZZZZUUUUUUUUUMMMMMAAAAA PLEASe

[ Yuuji ] 7:45 pm  
> dude ?   
> are you okay?   
> I hope you aren’t doing anything stupid bc that’s my thing.   
> hello? I’m gonna call the police if you don’t answer !! This is 100% real!! 

Bobata breaks. He finally gives in. 

[ Me > Yuuji ] 8:34 pm 

> Im fine 

[ Yuuji ] 8:34 pm   
> OMG HES ALIVE !! I was this close to calling the cops dude !!! 

[ Me ] 8:35 pm   
> Yuuji please 

[ Yuuji ] 8:36 pm   
> you sound down.   
> are you down?   
> Do you want boba ??   
> Are you okay? 

[ Me ] 8:40 pm   
> I made a mistake. 

Before he knows it, he’s being tackled by a man covered in piercings, the one who had originally started Bobata’s quest to discover himself. Terushima doesn’t judge him for what he did to his hair, Terushima doesn’t ask Bobata to talk about his feelings. All he asks is if Bobata needs help fixing his hair which the older male accepts. His tears are wiped away, he’s engulfed in a hug. For once in his life he is at ease, for once in his life he isn’t itching for some artificial way to distract himself. 

“For the world’s sake, I hope you never become a hairstylist” Terushima huffs, helping Bobata get up and dragging him into a chair, plucking the scissors out of his hand. 

“Rude” Bobata replies, but he knows he’s staying away from everything related to hair for a good while. 

“Maybe I can be your personal stylist, hm? At least I don’t suck like a certain someone” 

“Again, rude, but not wrong” 

—————x—————

His first day back at school with his short hair is already a disaster. His parents decided to come home from their trip, something he was expecting to happen later, and they were not at all impressed with what he did. They immediately point fingers at Terushima for convincing Bobata to do this, but Bobata stands up for himself. Even he is taken aback by the response that comes out of his mouth. So, his parents say they’ll come up with a punishment by the time he returns from volleyball practice. They might be strict, but they wouldn’t take away the one thing that made him feel happy. 

At school, people are staring at him left and right, the only one who knew about his change was Terushima who Bobata forced to promise he wouldn’t say anything about it, not even to the team. If his team would have the same reaction his classmates did, he was doomed for. His walk into the gym is one of shame, his head his held down and his hands are gripping the straps of his book bag. Before he can run away like the coward he is, an arm wraps around him. 

“Stop being so worried, kazoo” Comes Terushima’s voice. 

“It’s not like they’ll care dude, they know you were going through something. I mean- I don’t care. That’s comforting enough, right?” 

“Sure” Bobata replies, still holding onto his backpack for dear life. His normal impulsive attitude was gone. 

“Ugggh! You shoulda been emo” 

“I’m not emo”

“Didn’t say you were, said you should” 

“You’re the one who listens to American rock bands” Bobata shoots back, mood slowly improving. 

“Wow, attacking me like this? That’s very low of you, Kazuma! But I’ll push it aside because I loooooooove you!” 

“Asshole” 

“Brat” Terushima smirks before shoving Bobata into the gym. 

There he stands, eyes all falling onto him then of course, his hair. Bobata shuts his eyes and feels like going into hiding. To his surprise, no one is screaming, no one is whispering. A few more seconds of silence and Bobata thinks he’ll go mad. 

Terushima again wraps his arm around Bobata, rubbing his head as his laughter bubbled in the gym. Bobata only opens his eyes again when there is another hand touching his hand, owner being Runa who seemed curious with the second year’s choice in hairstyle. 

“Kazuma, man, how does it feel to finally be able to see us fully with no hair in front of your eyes?” Īzaka pipes up. 

“Woah, no bangs. You aren’t emo anymore!” Tsuchiyu adds. 

Like that, his team is gathering around him and praising his new choice in hair, Terushima is grinning like an idiot from his corner in the gym. They liked unpredictability, they liked changed. Why was he so afraid of them in the first place? 

Their chit chatting makes it seem like nothing was out of the ordinary, like Bobata didn’t have a breakdown and cut his hair short. They give him a sense of normalcy in this crazy world and it’s then that the final puzzle piece of his life snaps into place. It’s with his team by his side that he realizes that he wasn’t just some extra in a story. Bobata is not a forgotten toy no one loved, he was cherished by everyone he had the luck of calling friend. 

Bobata was the protagonist of his own story. 

Bobata Kazuma is the star of his own show.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So this is the first fic I’ve ever written :0! 
> 
> This one is pretty short, just a little thing for a character that doesn’t get much rep in the haikyuu fandom. I might write more things for him or other characters so- yeehaw? 
> 
> You can find me on twitter under @hey_maverick_ ! And my tumblr is @heyomave ! 
> 
> Please feel free to leave feedback! I’m always looking to improve my writing so commentary is of great help. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
